As a counterpoint to the consumer mania that the US’s “Black Friday” (the start of the holiday shopping season) ushered in yesterday, we offer here a chance to visit one of Oahu’s oases of calm — the Byodo-in Temple in the Valley of the Temples, near Kane’ohe. Erected in 1968 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants to Hawaii, this beautiful temple and its serene grounds are set against the stunning cliffs of the Ko’olau mountain range. The Valley of the Temples is actually a cemetery with specially designated areas to accommodate the different burial practices of Hawaii’s diverse cultures and communities. The Byodo-in Temple is located at the rear of these majestic grounds. A nominal fee is collected just before crossing this bridge to the main temple area, but it is well worth the visit.

There are small ponds throughout the gardens, stocked with koi, or decorative Japanese carp. Many birds also take sanctuary here, although we did not get anything more exotic than some zebra doves (including one that looked like it was “diving”) in our photos.

View of the main temple from the pond in the front gardens (top) and from the rear gardens( bottom)

As you approach the main temple from the left, this iron bell invites the visitor to announce his visit and intention. [The bell is open for all visitors to use, but please remember this is a place of contemplation and prayer. The bell is not a toy]

Inside the temple, a golden Buddha sends loving kindness out to our beleaguered world. [Please be prepared to remove your shoes before entering the sanctuary]

It’s with great sadness that I read the growing number of reports about problems with foods and products made in mainland China. It gives one pause and certainly makes me look twice and thrice at labels. But I know I should do that anyway, regardless of where I buy something, whether it’s a supermarket or an small ethnic grocery.

Many people we know have also told us they are wary of going to Chinatown here because they’ve heard it’s scary or they’ve seen things on TV about high crime there. We heard the same thing about Boston’s Chinatown when we lived in that area, and London’s too. We didn’t find those things to be true in those places either. I think it’s a matter of being smart and careful, just as you would in any part of a large metropolitan area.
So I’d like to share the Honolulu Chinatown that we know and love. It’s a terrific place. We try to go every couple of weeks for fresh produce, fish and seafood, bakery items, and a few dry goods. If you’re interested in learning more about some of the unfamiliar items you might find on the store shelves, I highly recommend Linda Bladholm’s The Asian Grocery Store Demystified.

Where is it? Where do you park?
Chinatown is located Downtown Honolulu and is roughly bordered by Nimitz Highway to the south, River Steet (west), Beretania Street (north), and Nuuanu Avenue (east). Caveat: all these streets, except Nimitz are one-way. (See a map from mapquest.com showing one-way streets) The street signs in Chinatown are pretty distinct, as they’re written in both English and Chinese script.

Street parking is limited and 1-hour slots only (free Sundays and holidays), but there are municipal garages (pay half-hourly) on Smith (near Nimitz), Maunakea (near King), Nuuanu (past King), and Maunakea (near Beretania, at Chinese Cultural Plaza). Our favorite place to park, though, is at a private lot at the corner of Nuuanu and Nimitz (weekend rate, $4 all day til 5pm). We’ve been known to get to Chinatown for breakfast and not leave until after lunch so this is a good deal for us.
Where to buy:

Seafood: we go to the Troy Enterprise fish market (corner of King and Kekaulike Marketplace) for fresh whole moi (sweet white-meat fish) and Dungeness crabs (they will gut and scale the fish for you on request), and Da Kine Seafood (Maunakea, b/w King and Nimitz) also for Dungeness and for frozen seafood (they carry froglegs, French escargots — with or without butter, and crawfish tail meat if you’re looking for such exotics); The Oahu Market (across Troy Enterprise) also has several different fish and seafood vendors; Wah Wah Seafoods (King/Keakaulike) has fresh fish and live frogs and eels; Seven Sisters (inside Maunakea Mktpl) has fresh local sweet shrimp
• Fresh meat: market stalls at the Oahu Market and in Kekaulike Marketplace, and Maunakea Marketplace: you can find whole oxtail and other cuts of beef, sides of pork, fresh chickens
• Produce: the market stalls on King, and in and around Kekaulike Marketplace can’t be beat for price and selection (the early bird gets the best choices, they start opening around 6:30am)
• Fresh noodles: we go to Yat Ting Chow Noodle Factory (King/River) for saimin, udon, and wonton, gyoza and mandoo wrappers; and Look Funn for plain, char siu or shrimp rice noodles
• Chinese BBQ and roast meats: Eastern Food Center (King/Kekaulike Mkt), Wing Loy (Maunakea/Hotel), and Nam Fong (across from Wing Loy)
• Pastries: Chinese (Lee, on King; Ruby’s on Hotel; ) and Filipino (Pelio on Hotel); many dim sum houses will also carry pastries you can order for take-away
• Chinese dry goods: There is the venerable Bo Wah (Maunakea/Hotel), but of course many many others throughout the area
• Vietnamese dry goods: many along King Street between Kekaulike Mktplace and River St), 555 Market (King/Kekaulike Mkt)
• Laotian: (Pauahi/Smith)

Thai: Hong Fa Market (Maunkea/Pauahi)
• Manapua: Char Hung Sut (Pauahi/Smith); most bakeries will also carry different types of manapua
• Cookware: China Arts on King/Maunakea has both carbon steel and stainless steel woks in a large range of prices and sizes, and other professional grade cookware and utensils; as well as tea sets, and serving and dinner ware

Acupuncture/Herbalists: as you might guess, there are quite a few in this neighborhood; we visit the acupuncturist at “Acupuncture and Herbs from China” (Nuuanu/Pauahi); she accepts certain types of insurance (unfortunately not ours), and can provide a receipt for insurance or FSA purposes

Where to eat: Where to begin? This area has quite a trove of dining opportunities and has something for every budget. You’d expect all flavors of Asian restaurants, but there are also Indian, Cuban, Mexican, a French bistro and others too. These are talked about elsewhere in the local press and blogosphere. Since we are rarely in Town in the afternoon, much less after dark, I can only tell you about our favorite breakfast and lunch locales. (Our rule of thumb when scoping out restaurants in an unfamiliar locale: look inside to see who eats there.)

The Maunakea Marketplace food court features Singapore, Malaysian, Filipino, Korean, Thai, Japanese, Laotian, Vietnamese and Indian stands. The first four are also open for breakfast, serving not only typical meat-egg entrees, but also warm noodle soups and rice porridges (congee, or arroz caldo at the Filipino stands). In the Maunakea Courtyard, fresh fruit smoothies are the real deal at Summer Frappe (see our post here)

The Eastern Food Center is a sit-down BBQ house that also opens early for breakfast, serving traditional breakfasts, but also succulent roast meats and warming congees.

There are many Vietnamese pho houses, but our go-to place is Pho 97 (Maunakea/entrance to Marketplace). Their Vietnamese crepe (made with mung beans and coconut milk), spring rolls, bun with BBQ pork, and pho have never disappointed. (Be prepared to wait at peak lunch hours)

Finally, there’s Good Luck Dim Sum (Beretania/Maunakea). I was weaned on the glorious dim houses in San Francisco so I have to be able to choose my dumplings from a rolling cart, or I feel kind of cheated out of the dim sum experience. You get that full experience here, though the space is a bit small. Of course, you can also order anything off the extensive regular menu. We often order take-out from here, as dim sum makes great picnic food for an afternoon at Foster Gardens.

What else is nearby?
Don’t miss Foster Gardens (Vineyard/Maunkea)! There’s also an auction house (Nuuanu/King), Chinese antiques (Smith/King), art galleries, the Aloha Tower marketplace, and Fort Street mall shops. We often walk to the Hawaii State library and adjacent Iolani Palace grounds (King/Punchbowl), but that is probably a mile or so away. A nice walk when it’s relatively cool out.

Coming soon:
Our favorite treasures from Chinatown (of course, most of them are edible …)

The “Lost in English” gang in Macerata, Italy are studying in an intensive English course and they’re doing a meme about “what to pack for a visit to my hometown.” It’s a great way to get to know a little bit about Italy from insiders. I hope you give their site a look.

They’ve tagged all blogs (this means you too) to tell them about their hometowns. So far, someone from Maine has written to them. Now I’d like to share my hometown (island). No, not Oahu. Guam!

Where is Guam? Guam is an island on the 13′ Latitude, which puts it in the North Pacific, about a 3 hour flight from Japan or the Philippine Islands. It’s the western most U.S. territory, but is the first place in the U.S. to see the sun rise (hence, Guam’s motto, “Where America’s Day Begins”) because it’s across the International Date Line from Hawaii and the U.S. mainland (Sorry Maine … )

What to pack for a trip to Guam?

Your swimsuit and sun protection: you’ll want to spend the day on the beach and in the water, scuba diving, wind surfing, jet-skiing, sailing, or just enjoying the sandy beaches. Guam doesn’t have too many surf spots. sorry.

Your appetite: Portions are generous and Guam has dishes that are unique in the world: start with a fiesta plate of red rice, chicken kelaguen (lemon coconut chicken salad), and BBQ ribs and chicken; and be sure to try the fried rosketi and melt-in-your-mouth guyuria cookies (a legacy of Guam’s Spanish and Portuguese influence) before you go. But Guam is also a melting pot of cultures and cuisine: Filipino, Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese, Korean, even Italian and Mexican!

Your sense of adventure: Take a rental car and drive yourself around. Guam is a place with a lot of history. It was discovered by Europeans (the Chamorro people were already there) when Magellan arrived in 1521; it was traded to the U.S. by Spain at the end of the 19th century; it was occupied by the Japanese during World War II and liberated by the US Marines in 1944. Visit the Guam Museum and the War in the Pacific National Historical Park to learn more. Also stop by the Latte Stone Park — I don’t think anthropologists are completely sure what purpose these ancient stone formations served, but they have become an icon of Guam’s culture. (BTW, in this case, Latte rhymes with “batty,” it’s not pronounced like the coffee drink!)

Money (US$): The tourist areas of the island are largely resort areas (Hilton, Hyatt, etc etc) and prices are comparable to those here on Waikiki. But if you’ve packed your sense of adventure then you’ll get away from the touristy areas!

Words to know before you go: “Hafa Adai” (hof ah-day) is Guam’s equivalent of “Aloha”; the local indigenous population are “Chamorro,” but residents of the island are “Guamanian” (I’ve heard Guamese, Guamolian, Guambat, and Guamer (in Germany), but these are all incorrect!)

** This a “talk story” post. In Hawaii, to “talk story” is to share memories and tell stories. **

When I received Verena’s invitation (from “Mangia che te fa bene”) yesterday to participate in World Pasta Day, which is Thursday, October 25th, the first thing that came rushing back was our last trip to Italy in 2003. We had such fun exploring the Cinque Terra, the 5 sparkling sea cliff villages on the Italian riviera that have been designated a World Heritage site. More on that in a bit, but first the pasta.

Immediately after returning from that trip, I felt compelled to make pasta at home to take advantage of this beautiful wondrous mushroom called Ovoli we found in the markets at Chiavari (the town we stayed in). I’m sorry this picture doesn’t do it justice because it was taken 4 days after we bought it, and after a train ride, overnight in Bologna (sigh . . . Bologna), plane trip to Germany, 2-hour car ride home, etc. You can see it retained it’s lovely orange color, despite our abuse.

Prized ovoli mushroom

We were there around this time of year (October) and it was mushroom season and the markets were full of all kinds of incredible mushrooms. I don’t speak Italian besides being able to order coffee, and inquire about a price (but not understand the answer). That’s what happened with these mushrooms. I was so taken with them that I just selected 2 and handed them to the proprietor. And she handed me a receipt for . . . (gasp) 20+ Euros. The Euro-USD exchange rate was better then that it is now, but that was still about $19. This was for 260g of mushrooms — yes, that works out to about $40/lb!! I looked at her sign for the first time (I was too enthralled with the mushrooms to see it earlier) and yes, it said 80 Euros per kilo. A sane person might have said, oh, sorry, my mistake, I won’t be taking these. Instead I thought, wow, these must be good, I have to try them! I asked the proprietor (in German, it was our only semi-common language) to write down the name of the mushroom in Italian, which she was kind enough to do.

So, no dried pasta for these babies, it had to be from scratch. I also did a mad search on the web for any information on the Ovoli and recipe ideas on how to take most advantage of it’s unique flavors. I wanted a recipe as simple as possible, so the Ovoli would not be overshadowed by any other ingredient.

Mix flour and salt. Make a mound of the flour and a well in the center. Add the egg yolks and starting from the middle, incorporate the yolks into the flour (this is messy but fun!). Gradually add flour from the sides until all flour is incorporated. Flour your hands, start kneading until the dough comes together and does not stick so much. Cover with damp towel and let rest while assembling pasta maker. We will finish the kneading with the pasta maker/roller.

Flour, egg yolks, salt

Set your pasta maker on the largest setting. Sprinkle flour very generously over the pasta roller. Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces. Take the first piece and flatten it with your hands so it will fit through the rollers. (Keep the other pieces under a damp towel.) Crank it all the way through. It will look something like this.
Not very appetizing yet. Fold the dough and pass it through the rollers again. This action is actually doing the kneading for you.

After 2-3 times at the largest setting, go to the next smaller setting on your roller, and pass it through 2 times. Remember to fold the dough after it comes out of the rollers!

Set the rollers down at the third setting and roll through again. Now it’s starting to resemble pasta . . .

Roll through the third setting one more time (don’t forget to fold). This is a before and after view of the dough.
After the last roll, cut your kneaded dough again into 3 pieces. Bring your roller setting down to the last setting, and put the short end of the dough through for the final roll. This is for the thinness of the dough. (Sorry, no picture of that)

Now go to the cutting side of your roller and put the paper-thin pieces of dough through to be cut. Sprinkle with more flour, gather lightly and leave to air dry. Isn’t that beautiful? Fresh fettucine.
But wait, we’ve only made one of those bundles so far. You have to go back and finish cutting the 2 other pieces of kneaded dough. Then there are still 3 pieces of unkneaded dough that have to go through the whole process. Hard work? A bit, but it’s the kind of repetitious work, like making bread, that is meditative as well. If you’re not in the mood to be meditative, put on your favorite music, open a nice Montepulciano and have fun with your work!

Sear mushroom pieces in hot pan with minimal (no more than 2 tsp) oil. You want them to brown, not lose their juices. Remove them from pan. In same pan, add rest of olive oil and lower heat. Add garlic and saute until soft. Add butter and saffron-creme fraiche, and let them warm through. Turn heat to medium high and return mushrooms to pan. Heat through. Remove from heat and season as needed with salt. Mangia!

I hope now you will indulge me the nostalgia for the lovely places that inspired this cooking. The Cinque Terre are the five villages (from south to north) of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso. There is a cliff-side trail that connects the villages. We started first from the south, in Riomaggiore, and took our time to visit in each village. We stopped for a late lunch in Corniglia, the middle village, and took the train back to Chiavari for the night. Now a word to the wise, the trail that starts in the south, at Riomaggiore is a wide boulevard, paved and often with guard rails. We thought the whole trail was like that. But we were wrong.

View of Riomaggiore from the start of the trail

Entering Manarola from the trail, and down its main street

The only way to reach the town of Corniglia from the train station is up this switchback staircase! That’ll work up your appetite.

We started the next day at the northernmost village, Monterosso, and headed on the trail south to the village of Vernazza. The trail starts off as it did in Riomaggiore, paved and with rails, as you can see in this picture looking back at Riomaggiore from the beginning of the trail.

But it becomes this, and this. At one point, there is a narrow foot path (so narrow that my size 6 1/2, Euro 37, feet could not stand together on the trail) hugging the cliff-line for about 200 feet. We have no pictures of that because our fingers were dug into the cliff as we shuffled, crab-like, through that part!

But after 2 1/2 hours hiking you see the light at the end of this dusty tunnel. The jewel of a village that is Vernazza.

Thanks for taking that journey back with me. It’s back to Hawaii and the present day in the next post, promise.